


Just until tonight is over

by neverendingdream



Series: It only takes a spark [2]
Category: Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Genre: Charlie is a romantic mess confirmed, F/M, That is all, astrid is a goddess, but also a confused romantic mess, like always, they're both romantic messes, this is literally the MOST self-indulgent thing i have ever written, this is movie canon guys you can't change my mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 02:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15787200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverendingdream/pseuds/neverendingdream
Summary: "I'd happily dance with you, but you know the press would have a field day with that one."'A sudden thought occurred to him. Was he flirting with her? Oh,God. Hewasflirting with her, wasn’t he?He deserved to burn in Hell for this. Probably.Most certainly.'Charlie convinces Astrid to dance with him at Nick and Rachel’s engagement party.





	Just until tonight is over

**Author's Note:**

> you can’t convince me this didn’t happen: I HAVE FOOTAGE FROM THE TRAILERRR *casually ignores the fact that the dancing scene was cut and also took place at the wedding*
> 
>  
> 
> this fic is alllllll @astridwu’s fault i take no responsibility ~~love u looool ❤❤~~

 

_“Long time no see.”_

Charlie’s nonchalant words were belied by the blush on his cheeks, and Astrid had to fight back a laugh. _It was classic Charlie._ Regardless, he was a welcome change from the hordes of nosy gossips who’d bothered her all night, asking variations of the question of the evening: " _Where’s Michael?”_

She didn’t want to hear his name again, not for a _very_ long time, and so she’d forced herself to respond to all the questions with a tight smile ending the discussion before it’d even begun. In the end, did it really matter what happened between her and Michael? Would the fact that she and Cassian had moved out of that apartment somehow _change_ the world?

Tonight was Nick’s and Rachel’s. She didn’t want to ruin it for them.

And---she could hardly forget, _Charlie Wu_ was standing in front of her, a hesitant smile on his lips, and a void of almost ten years stretching between them.

“Yes,” she said at last, but what she meant to do was apologize. She’d treated him horribly, after all, dumping him at the last second, and in such a public way, all because she couldn’t take the pressure from _everyone_ over her decision to marry Wu Hao Lian’s son.

 _‘He deserved better,’_ she thought, the beginning of a frown twisting over her mouth even as she gave him a once over. He had aged well, to the point that she could hardly believe that the man in front of her was the very same hopelessly awkward fifteen-year-old who’d asked for her name all those years ago. Besides, of course, the blush. That hadn’t changed one bit.

“How’s life treating you?” Charlie asked. “I caught a glimpse of you at Colin and Araminta’s wedding, too, but you looked too preoccupied to chat then.”

 _She wanted to tell him about Michael._ No, she didn’t, she didn’t.

“It’s been alright. Cassian’s sick and Michael’s been staying home to take care of him,” she lied. “Of course the gossips have been having the time of their life with _that._ ”

Charlie laughed, shaking his head a little ruefully.

“My wife isn’t here either. Seems like Araminta’s parents only invited your spouse and family along if you were family, a head of state, or a member of royalty.”

The image of Isabel’s wedding invitation flashed through his mind, but he shoved it away. ‘ _She doesn’t need to know about my problems when she has problems of her own,’_ he thought.

Instead, he glanced around at the people talking around them before leaning in closer to Astrid, a teasing smile on his face.

“I’m sure the gossips are having the time of their lives with _this_ , too,” he whispered conspiratorially, praying he wasn’t being too familiar with her, praying that she wouldn’t pull away.

A sudden thought occurred to him. Was he flirting with her? Oh, _God._ He _was_ flirting with her, wasn’t he?

He deserved to burn in Hell for this. Probably. _Most certainly_.

After all, he _had_ heard the gossip. That Michael hadn’t shown up to the wedding and wasn’t attending this either. That Astrid and Michael had been arguing, resulting in Astrid leaving their shared apartment for one of her own. That apparently Michael had been chucked to the curb by Astrid in a take-down more epic than when she’d dumped Charlie himself, and had walked out on him forever.

Though that last idea was admittedly more fanciful than anything else.

Regardless, he probably looked like an idiot, talking to Astrid like this. Worse, he probably looked like he’d been waiting all this time for her to chuck Michael, only to sweep in at the end and--

And what? He had a wife, and more dignity than the gossips would care to believe. He didn’t want to make Astrid out to be some home wrecker. He just wanted, _Christ_ , he just wanted to see her happy again, and he had. He didn’t need her to love him back after all those years. Talking and joking with her like this was enough, no matter the aching in his heart.

But, to his surprise, Astrid didn’t scoff at his joke, or worse, ignore him and leave on the spot. No, she leaned even closer to him with a mischievous smile of her own and laid a hand on his arm as Charlie’s blush came back in full force.

 

“Let’s give the gossips even more to talk about then, shall we?”

 

* * *

 

Astrid was fairly certain that she was drunk, though she hadn’t drank a drop that evening. Or perhaps she had just gone insane over the past week, still coasting on an adrenaline high after leaving Michael. After all, nothing else could explain just _why_ _in the name of God_ she was--

She was flirting with Charlie, wasn’t she? After treating him so badly all those years ago, and ending it, and never talking to him or even _seeing_ him since then until now, here she was, acting as if she hadn’t broken his heart, as if they weren’t both married, as if ten years hadn’t passed and that fateful breakup had never happened.

But she couldn’t help herself, something in her had been swept up and away by the mischief in his smile, the spark in his eyes, and she wanted-- she _needed_ to hear him laugh again, to see his eyes crinkle into half-moons the way they always did when he smiled. She wanted to feel his warmth again.

Before she could think properly about what she was doing, her hand was trailing along his arm, her heart lost in the sudden smoulder in his eyes that contrasted sharply with the blush on his cheeks.

_“I missed you.”_

The words fell from her lips, and something in her ached at the truth of them, the truth she’d never dared to think of.

“Astrid, I--” Charlie began, and _God,_ he was going to confess again, right there and then, _forget_ the people around them, and, and--

“Just kiss already!” Someone called, and Astrid leapt away from Charlie so quickly she thought she was going to trip, her cheeks aflame.

Nick waved at her cheerfully from where he was sitting a few meters away, Rachel cracking up next to him. Astrid glared. _She was going to kill him._

 

* * *

 

“Astrid,” Charlie said, pulling her from her thoughts of how exactly she was going to murder her cousin, “I’m sorry, but I can’t lie to you.”

“What are you talking about?” She asked, tone light, forcing a little smile even as her heart plummeted at his serious expression. ‘ _He’s disgusted by me. He hates me. He thinks I’m a home wrecker.’_

“Actually, my wife _was_ invited to Colin and Araminta’s wedding, but she didn’t come, and she’s not here tonight because we lead separate lives. We haven’t lived together in more than two years. I had to come clean to you, I’m sorry.”

Astrid stared at him for a long second, speechless. Why was he telling her this?

 _‘He’s not happy like this either,’_ a small voice in her mind whispered, but she shoved it down.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said at last, still shocked. She didn’t know what else to say.

Except...she still wanted to tell him. About Michael. _A truth for a truth._

 

* * *

 

Charlie hadn’t meant to offer up his honesty in exchange for Astrid’s, he just hadn’t been able to stomach being dishonest, especially _to her_. She deserved the truth, no matter how ugly it was. But she bit her lip at his words, and after a moment, took a deep breath and told him everything.

How Michael had been growing distant.

How he’d been taking long business trips at strange times, and she hadn’t suspected, not at all, not until the text message she’d discovered on his phone:

MISS U NSIDE ME.

He’d been cheating on her. Michael Teo _,_ _that son of a bitch_ , had been cheating on Astrid.

“How could anyone in his right mind be cheating on _you_?” After all, Astrid was, well, _Astrid._ He couldn’t ever imagine even _thinking_ _of_ _thinking of cheating on her_.

Astrid smiled a little at the vehemence in his voice.

“It’s not important, not really,” she said.

“In the end, I left him, and took Cassian with me,” and here, her voice grew in intensity, “because I was goddamn sick and tired of bending to him, and I told him as much. I told him he shouldn’t _need_ me to constantly reaffirm how _manly_ or _capable_ he was, just because he had a wife who was richer than he would ever be in his lifetime. And I left for one of the properties that he’d always looked down on, just because they were mine by merit of my family, and _he_ wouldn’t ever have been able to buy them on his own.”

She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, surprised at how she’d gotten herself so worked up. _‘He doesn’t want to hear this, does he? I must be bothering him again.’_

She ducked her head a little, quickly apologizing for being emotional, embarrassed by all she’d said, all she’d vented, and made to leave, but he caught her arm.

 

Their eyes locked for a long, passion-filled second.

 

“Dance with me, Astrid,” he said suddenly, and there was a new fire in his eyes, fueled by not only anger at Michael, _that utter bastard_ , for treating her so terribly, but also love, because, _God_ , he had never loved her more than in that moment, her eyes ablaze, her entire figure practically glowing in the lantern light.

She smiled then, a wild, joyous thing-- _a force of nature_ \-- and took him by the arm-- _and she had chosen him._

 

“The gossips will have forgotten all about Michael by morning.”

.

.

.

_They dance and laugh until the stars go out, and the sun rises, until they’re greeted by the light of a new dawn, a new beginning._

 

**Author's Note:**

> Me: Since the storyline with Michael was cut short, I’m worried about how the movies will portray Charlie and Astrid’s plot, especially since Michael is such an integral foil to Charlie and Charlie supporting Astrid and her happiness without ever expecting her to reciprocate her love after their own breakup up until she and Michael break up is so important to their relationship…
> 
> Also me: just kiss already lol ~~nick is me in this fic~~
> 
> ~~populating the CRA tag one self-indulgent fic at a time~~


End file.
